by Liz Mullen
Hermosa Beach Police Department officers responded to reports of a man brandishing a gun in two separate incidents, in recent weeks, as well as two male transients wielding knives.
Officers arrested the two men with knives and one of the men with a gun, but are still seeking two other suspects in the other incident involving a gun.
That incident occurred on Feb. 25 at about 11:30 p.m. near the corner of Pier and Pacific Coast Highway. The victim was walking at night when a masked suspect demanded money, pulled a handgun from his waistband and waved it in the victim’s face.
A second masked suspect tried to steal the victim’s backpack, but the victim resisted. The two suspects ended up stealing the victim’s hat and running away.
The victim didn’t report the crime to HBPD until two hours after it occurred. The investigation is ongoing, HBPD Officer Keaton Dadigan said.
On Feb. 22 on the 00 block of 22nd Street, HBPD officers responded to the report of a disturbance and found a man with what appeared to be a real gun, but in actuality was a BB gun, according to Dadigan.
“He was showing it to other people in the area and attempted to start fights inside nearby restaurants,” Dadigan said. “The subject was uncooperative with officers but was eventually safely taken into custody by HBPD officers for brandishing an imitation firearm.”
On Feb. 25, HBPD officers responded to multiple reports of a transient “swinging a knife” at people on the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, Dadigan said.
“One victim was walking in the area with her two children when the suspect, unknown to them, began yelling threats and swung the knife at them,” Dadigan said. “HBPD officers quickly arrived and located the subject with a knife in one hand and a beer in the other.”
Officers were able to subdue the suspect and arrested him for assault with a deadly weapon, Dadigan said. Although the knife did not touch any of the victims, “swinging the knife at the victims with the intent to possibly strike or stab them constitutes assault,” Dadigan explained.
The second incident involving an unhoused man with a knife occurred on March 5 in a parking structure on 13th Street at about 3 p.m. HBPD officers responded to calls about a man waving a knife around.
“The knife was located but at the time officers arrived, he was not waving it,” Dadigan said. “He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.”
HBPD reaches full employment
Other police departments in Los Angeles County are struggling to hire and retain officers, but the Hermosa Beach Police Department is enjoying full employment, HBPD Lt. Joe Poelstra told the City Council on Tuesday March 11.
“While agencies all around us – in the South Bay and in L.A. County — are experiencing a staffing deficit of 18 to 20 percent. We are not only fully staffed in Hermosa Beach, but actually have a waiting list of qualified candidates wanting to become police officers for this best little beach city,” Poelstra said.
Poelstra attributed the bullish employment picture at HBPD to the collaboration within the department and with the city manager, city council and mayor, as well as the human resources department. Additionally, HBPD works on promoting city people working in other positions, what Poelstra called a culture of “development within.”
Poelstra said he and HBPD Chief Paul LeBaron have been invited to other police agencies to give a presentation about their success in hiring and retaining employees.
Five MB home burglaries in a week
Manhattan Beach Police Department detectives are investigating five residential burglaries that occurred between March 1 and March 5, in which burglars, some wearing masks, broke glass windows and stole jewelry and other items when the homeowners were out.
On March 1, MBPD officers were called to the 1000 block of 1st Street after homeowners saw three unknown people in their backyard. Officers did not locate anyone but found a broken exterior flood light that had been ripped off a wall. Video surveillance revealed three masked individuals leaving the victim’s yard, entering a green SUV and driving away.
On March 2, shortly after 7:30 p.m., officers responded to an alarm at a home on the 400 block of Chabela Drive. Officers observed shattered glass from both the first and second story back doors. The homeowner, who was out of town, asked the officers to do a walk through and officers found the bedrooms ransacked. Surveillance video revealed two suspects wearing hoods, masks and gloves exiting the home’s backyard.
On March 4, at about 8:20 p.m. officers responded to a burglary report on the 2700 block of Laurel Avenue. The homeowner had left his home and locked it at about 5:45 p.m. and returned around 8 p.m., to find the glass back door shattered and jewelry and coins stolen.
On March 5 at 7:04 a.m., MBPD officers responded to another burglary on the 500 block of Marine Avenue. The resident had locked the door and left for work on March 4. When they returned home they found the glass back door smashed, several rooms ransacked and jewelry stolen.
Also on March 5, there was yet another residential burglary report. MBPD officers responded to the 1500 block of 5th Street at 7:21 and found a resident who had arrived home and found their bedroom door was barricaded from the inside. Around the back of the house there was a ladder propped up to the top of the second story balcony. The second story glass door had been smashed and the master bedroom was ransacked.
RBPD offers $10,000 for shooting suspect
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Redondo Beach Police Department held a press conference to publicize a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a man who shot at two RBPD officers.
The shooting occurred on Feb. 21 in the city of Hawthorne where the RBPD officers were working with a South Bay DUI task force. LASD is leading the investigation into the incident and has identified Lester Yohan Castro as the shooter, but has not been able to find him.
“This individual is dangerous and desperate,” RBPD Chief Joe Hoffman said at the press conference. “His actions demonstrate a total disregard for human life…the safety of the public and rule of law…. If anyone has any information about the suspect, his whereabouts or anything that can aid in this investigation, please come forward.”
The City of Redondo Beach has put up the $10,000 reward money for the arrest of Castro on attempted murder charges.
On Feb. 21 the two RBPD officers stopped Castro, who was riding a motorcycle, on the 12800 block of Prairie Avenue in Hawthorne. But Castro left the motorcycle and fled on foot.
The officers, also on foot, chased Castro, according to LASD Lt. Daniel Vizcarra.
“The officers followed Castro to the 12900 block of Roosevelt Avenue where Castro produced a handgun and fired several rounds at the two officers. One officer returned fire,” Vizcarra said.
Castro disappeared into the rear yard of a home. Police set up a perimeter, but were unable to locate him.
Although they recovered the firearm Castro used to fire at RBPD officers, Vizcarra said the public should assume he is “armed and dangerous.” Castro has “a violent criminal history” that includes attempted murder, assault and domestic violence, among other things, Vizcarra said.
Hoffman noted that, nationwide, 13 police officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2025. “We are very fortunate and grateful that the violent act on February 21 did not add to the number of fallen officers this year,” Hoffman said.
Anyone with any information about Castro is asked to call LASD at (323) 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). ER
